Some Springtime rural sketching, mostly colour, with an intense black and white interlude. I’d set off across the fields to sketch Shotwick graveyard with its toppling stones and collapsing tombs, but ended up getting distracted en route, drawing pylons and a shady farmyard… This left only forty minutes to sketch at the church but I think this reduced time helped the final sketches; less is more for sketching?
Mostly drawing 
Great sketches. It’s easy to think that pylons ‘spoil’ the countryside but they are interesting to draw so that’s a benefit to artists. I still probably wouldn’t want one in my backyard though. I like the b/w sketch of the farmyard, it’s very effective. I ended up drawing quite a few churches and graveyards as Reuben found he could play the piano inside. It’s a challenge to get the height of the spires on the page. I like the way you pushed the church back. It was great to sketch with you. We are back now on our little island.
The high tension wires also hum very strongly. I had to pitch a tent under one a few years ago and didn’t sleep much… I think people living near them have associated higher levels of brain tumours? I like the image of Reuben playing the church organ while you’re outside sketching; perfect combination! I went to your blog address but it looks a little ‘dormant’. Will you be using it to post sketches?
I love how rich the colors look in your sketches! The black and white sketch really captures a sense of place too. The middle sketch with tombstones has a composition to it that that is very pleasing to look at. I know you added paints to your palette, but I am unable to find the post again. Would you repost your new coices? How did you obtain the depth of color? Thanks Ed!
Thanks Cathy. The new paints I added were all opaque watercolours (much smoother to use than any gouache I’ve tried…) and weren’t used in these sketches. So I was just using the usual palette of translucent single pigment watercolours, as described in the page here:
But I have learnt that watercolour dries significantly less vivid than when wet, so I’m making sure I over-saturate the paint with pigment to compensate.
The new choices are halfway down this post:
Thanks Ed!
I love those power towers! I look for power lines and poles to sketch whenever I can, but big ones like those you sketched are not too common in the city. . . I guess I’d better try the country!
– Tina
Thanks Tina, these ones are huge, striding across the landscape, but you wouldn’t want them near your home (see above)!
These are fantastic!
I agree that less can be more for sketches. I’ve recently been enjoying a meet-up where we gather and sketch with a time limit. That helps us cut extraneous thoughts and get on drawing.
I like the green on the wires. Looks almost like vines are trying to take over the tower.
Thanks. Time limits, natural or set, do add ‘sketchiness’!